Implant With Sensor Diagnostics

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein are joint implants and methods for tracking joint implant performance. A joint implant includes a first implant coupled to a first bone of a joint and a second implant coupled to a second bone of the joint. The second implant includes at least one of a first sensor configured to measure a first type of data, and a processor operatively coupled to the at least one of the first sensor. The process outputs the first type of data to a network to be compared with data received from other joint implants. One of the joint or the implant is determined to be in a first state based on a comparison of the first type of data to a set of predetermined values formed based on the data received from the other joint implants. The predetermined values are adapted to change with the addition of new data.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of United States Pat. Application No.18/108,954 filed on Feb. 13, 2023, which claims the benefit of thefiling date of United States Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/444,056filed Feb. 8, 2023, and which claims the benefit of the filing date ofUnited States Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/444,045, filed Feb. 8,2023, and which claims the benefit of the filing date of United StatesProvisional Pa.t Application No. 63/443,146 filed Feb. 3, 2023, andwhich claims the benefit of the filing date of United States ProvisionalPat. Application No. 63/483,045, filed Feb. 3, 2023, and which claimsthe benefit of the filing date of United States Provisional Pat.Application No. 63/482,659, filed Feb. 1, 2023, and which claims thebenefit of the filing date of United States Provisional Pat. ApplicationNo. 63/482,656 filed Feb. 1, 2023, and which claims the benefit of thefiling date of United States Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/482,097filed Jan. 30, 2023, and which claims the benefit of the filing date ofUnited States Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/482,109 filed Jan. 30,2023, and which claims the benefit of the filing date of United StatesProvisional Pat. Application No. 63/481,660 filed Jan. 26, 2023, andwhich claims the benefit of the filing date of United States ProvisionalPat. Application No. 63/481,053 filed Jan. 23, 2023, and which claimsthe benefit of the filing date of United States Provisional Pat.Application No. 63/431,094 filed Dec. 8, 2022, and which claims thebenefit of the filing date of United States Provisional Pat. ApplicationNo. 63/423,932 filed Nov. 9, 2022, and which claims the benefit of thefiling date of United States Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/419,781filed Oct. 27, 2022, and which claims the benefit of the filing date ofUnited States Provisional Pat. Application No. 63/419,522 filed Oct. 26,2022, and which claims the benefit of the filing date of United StatesProvisional Pat. Application No. 63,419,455 filed Oct. 26, 2022, andwhich claims the benefit of the filing date of United States ProvisionalPat. Application No. 63/359,384 filed Jul. 8, 2022, and which claims thebenefit of the filing date of United States Provisional Pat. ApplicationNo. 63/309,809 filed Feb. 14, 2022, the disclosures of all of which arehereby incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates to implants and methods for trackingimplant performance, and particularly to joint implants and methods fortracking joint implant performance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Monitoring patient recovery after joint replacement surgery is criticalfor proper patient rehabilitation. A key component of monitoring apatient’s recovery is evaluating the performance of the implant todetect implant dislocation, implant wear, implant malfunction, implantbreakage, etc. For example, a tibial insert made of polyethylene (“PE”)implanted in a total knee arthroscopy (“TKA”) is susceptible tomacroscopic premature failure due to excessive loading and mechanicalloosening. Early identification of improper implant functioning and/orinfection and inflammation at the implantation site can lead tocorrective treatment solutions prior to implant failure. Data relatingto postoperative range of motion and load balancing of the new TKAimplants can be critical for managing recovery and identification of aproper replacement solution if necessary.

However, diagnostic techniques to evaluate implant performance aregenerally limited to patient feedback and imaging modalities such asX-ray fluoroscopy or magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”). Patientfeedback can be misleading in some instances. For example, gradualimplant wear or dislocation, onset of infection, etc., may beimperceptible to a patient. Further, imaging modalities offer onlylimited insight into implant performance. For example, X-ray images willnot reveal information related to the patient’s range of motion or theamount of stress on the knee joint of a patient recovering from a TKA.Furthermore, the imaging modalities may provide only an instantaneoussnapshot of the implant performance, and therefore fail to providecontinuous real time information related to implant performance.

Therefore, there exists a need for implants and related methods fortracking implant performance.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Disclosed herein are joint implants and methods for tracking jointimplant performance.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure a joint implantis provided. A joint implant according to this aspect, may include afirst implant coupled to a first bone of a joint and a second implantcoupled to a second bone of the joint. The first implant may include atleast one marker. The second implant may contact the first implant. Thesecond implant may include at least one marker reader to detect aposition of the marker to identify positional data of the first implantwith respect to the second implant. The second implant may include atleast one load sensor to measure load data between the first and secondimplants. A processor may be operatively coupled to the marker readerand the load sensor. The processor may simultaneously output thepositional data and the load data to an external source.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the marker may be a magnetand the marker reader may be a magnetic sensor. The magnetic sensor maybe a Hall sensor assembly including at least one Hall sensor. The magnetmay be a magnetic track disposed along a surface of the first implant.The first implant may include a first magnetic track extending along amedial side of the first implant and a second magnetic track extendingalong a lateral side of the first implant.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the second implant mayinclude a first Hall sensor assembly on a medial side of the secondimplant and a second Hall sensor assembly on a lateral side of thesecond implant. The first Hall sensor assembly may be configured to reada magnetic flux density of the first magnetic track and the second Hallsensor assembly configured to read a magnetic flux density of the secondmagnetic track.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, a central portion of thefirst magnetic track may be narrower than an anterior end and aposterior end of the first magnetic track. The first magnetic track mayinclude curved magnetic lines extending across the first magnetic track.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the magnetic sensor may becoupled to the load sensor by a connecting element. The connectingelement may be a rod configured to transmit loads from the magneticsensor to the load sensor. The load sensor may be a strain gauge.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint may be a kneejoint. The first implant may be a femoral implant and the second implantmay be a tibial implant. The tibial implant may include a tibial insertand a tibial stem. The marker reader and the processor may be disposedwithin the tibial insert.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the positional data mayinclude any of a knee flexion angle, knee varus-valgus rotation, kneeinternal-external rotation, knee medial-lateral translation,superior-inferior translation, anterior-posterior translation, and timederivatives thereof. The load data may include any of a medial loadmagnitude, lateral load magnitude, medial load center and lateral loadcenter. The tibial insert may include any of a pH sensor, a temperaturesensor and a pressure sensor operatively coupled to the processor. Thetibial insert may include a spectroscopy sensor. The tibial insert maybe made of polyethylene.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint implant may includean antenna to transmit the positional data and the load data to anexternal source. The external source may be any of a tablet, computer,smart phone, and remote workstation.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a jointimplant is provided. A joint implant according to this aspect, mayinclude a first implant coupled to a first bone of a joint and a secondimplant coupled to a second bone of the joint. The first implant mayinclude a plurality of medial markers located on a medial side of thefirst implant, and a plurality of lateral markers located on a lateralside of the first implant. The second implant may contact the firstimplant. The second implant may include at least one medial markerreader to identify a position of the medial markers and at least onelateral marker reader to identify a position of the lateral markers. Theposition of the medial markers and the position of the lateral markersmay provide positional data of the first implant with respect to thesecond implant. The second implant may include a medial load sensor tomeasure medial load data between the first and second implants on amedial side of the joint implant, a lateral load sensor to measurelateral load data between the first and second implants on a lateralside of the joint implant. A processor may be operatively coupled to themedial marker reader, the lateral marker reader, the medial load sensor,and the lateral load sensor. The processor may simultaneously output thepositional data, the medial load data, and the lateral load data to anexternal source.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, a number of medial markersmay be different from a number of lateral markers. The medial markersand the lateral markers may include magnets located at discretelocations on the first implant. The medial marker reader and the lateralmarker reader may include a Hall sensor assembly with at least one Hallsensor. The medial load sensor and the lateral load sensor may includepiezo stacks.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint implant may includea battery disposed within the second implant. The joint implant mayinclude a charging circuit disposed within the second implant to chargethe battery using power generated by the piezo stacks during loadingbetween the first and second implants.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint may be a kneejoint. The first implant may be a femoral implant and the second implantmay be a tibial implant. The tibial implant may include a tibial insertand a tibial stem. The marker reader and the processor may be disposedwithin the tibial insert. The positional data may include any of a kneeflexion angle, knee varus-valgus rotation, knee internal-externalrotation, knee medial-lateral translation, anterior-posteriortranslation, superior-inferior translation, and time derivativesthereof.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the medial load data mayinclude a medial load magnitude and a medial load center. The tibialinsert may include any of a pH sensor, a temperature sensor,accelerometer, gyroscope, inertial measure unit and a pressure sensoroperatively coupled to the processor. The tibial insert may include aspectroscopy sensor.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a jointimplant system is provided. A joint implant system according to thisaspect, may include a first implant coupled to a first bone of a joint,a second implant coupled to a second bone of the joint, and an externalsleeve configured to be removably attached to the joint. The firstimplant may include at least one marker. The second implant may contactthe first implant. The second implant may include at least one markerreader to detect a position of the marker to identify positional data ofthe first implant with respect to the second implant. The second implantmay include at least one load sensor to measure load data between thefirst and second implants. A processor may be operatively coupled to themarker reader and the load sensor. The processor may be configured tosimultaneously output the positional data and the load data to anexternal source.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint implant system mayinclude a battery to power the marker reader and the processor. Thebattery may be disposed within the second implant and including a jointimplant charging coil. The external sleeve may include an externalcharging coil to charge the battery. The battery may be configured to becharged by ultrasonic wireless charging or optical charging.

In another aspect of the present disclosure, a method for monitoring ajoint implant performance is provided. A method according to thisaspect, may include the steps of providing a first implant couplable toa first bone of a joint, providing a second implant couplable to asecond bone of the joint, tracking magnetic flux density magnitudes overtime using a magnetic sensor, and initiating a warning when a trackedmagnetic flux density magnitude is different from a predetermined value.The first implant may include at least one magnetic marker. The secondimplant may be configured to contact the first implant. The secondimplant may include at least one magnetic sensor to detect the magneticflux density of the magnetic marker. The magnetic flux density value maybe proportional to a thickness of the second implant.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a methodfor monitoring a joint implant performance is provided. A methodaccording to this aspect, may include the steps of providing a firstimplant couplable to a first bone of a joint, providing a second implantcouplable to a second bone of the joint, tracking a rate of change of amagnetic flux density over time using a magnetic sensor, and initiatinga warning when a tracked rate of change of the magnetic flux densityexceeds a predetermined value. The first implant may include at leastone magnetic marker. The second implant may be configured to contact thefirst implant. The second implant may include at least one magneticsensor to detect the magnetic flux density of the magnetic marker. Therate of change of the magnetic flux density may be proportional to awear rate of the second implant.

In accordance with another aspect of the present disclosure, a method ofmonitoring implant performance is provided. A method according to thisaspect, may include the steps of providing an implant with a firstsensor to detect implant temperature, a second sensor to detect a fluidpressure, and a third sensor to detect implant alkalinity, tracking andoutputting implant temperature, implant pressure and implant alkalinityover time to an external source using a processor disposed within theimplant, and initiating a notification when any of the implanttemperature, implant pressure and implant alkalinity, or any combinationthereof, exceeds a predetermined value. The implant temperature, implantpressure and implant alkalinity may be related to any of an implantfailure and an implant infection. The fluid pressure may be a synovialfluid pressure.

Disclosed herein are joint implants and methods for tracking jointimplant performance.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a joint implantis provided. A joint implant according to this aspect, may include afirst implant coupled to a first bone of a joint; and a second implantcoupled to a second bone of the joint. The second implant may include afirst sensor configured to measure a first type of data, and a processoroperatively coupled to the first sensor. The processor may output thefirst type of data to a network. One of the joint or the implant may bedetermined to be in a first state based on a comparison of the firsttype of data to a set of predetermined values. The predetermined valuesmay be adapted to change with the addition of new data.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint may be a kneejoint. The first implant may be a femoral implant and the second implantmay be a tibial implant. The tibial implant may include any of a pHsensor, a temperature sensor, a Hall sensor, a pressure sensor, anoptical sensor, and a blood sensor operatively coupled to the processor.The tibial implant may include a tibial insert and a tibial stem. Thetibial insert may be made of polyethylene.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the processor may output thedata to an external source connected to the network. The joint implantmay further comprise a transmitter to transmit the first type of data tothe external source.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the external source may beany of a tablet, computer, smart phone, and remote workstation. Abattery may be disposed within the second implant. A charging circuitmay be disposed within the second implant to charge the battery usingpower generated by piezo stacks.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint may be a hip joint.The first implant may be a hip insert and the second implant may be afemoral head.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint may be a shoulderjoint. The first implant may be a glenoid sphere and the second implantmay be a shoulder insert.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint implant may includeat least one of a second sensor configured to measure a second type ofdata. The joint implant may include a plurality of the first sensor anda plurality of the second sensor. The processor may output the first andsecond types of data to the network.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the data received from otherjoint implants may include data measured by a sensor. The data receivedfrom the other joint implants may include determinations of a state ofthe respective joint or a state of the respective implant as determinedby a user.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the addition of new data mayinclude the first type of data output by the processor of the jointimplant. The addition of new data may include the data received from theother joint implants. The addition of new data may include adetermination of a state of one of the other joint implants based on atype of data output from the respective one of the joint implants asdetermined by a user.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint implant may beconfigured to initiate a warning when the joint implant is determined tobe in the first state. The first state may be any one of inflamed,infected, or injured

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a joint implantis provided. A joint implant according to this aspect, may include afirst implant coupled to a first bone of a joint, and a second implantcoupled to a second bone of the joint and contacting the first implant.The second implant may include a first sensor configured to measure afirst type of data, a second sensor configured to measure a second typeof data, and a processor operatively coupled to the at least one of thefirst and second sensors. The joint implant may be operatively coupledto a network of joint implants. The processor may output the first andsecond types of data to the network to determine a state of the jointimplant based on data received in the network from other joint implants.The joint implant may be configured to initiate an alert when the jointimplant is determined to be in a first state.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a system fordetecting the state of a joint implant is provided. A system accordingto this aspect, may include a joint implant. The joint implant mayinclude a first implant coupled to a first bone of a joint, a secondimplant coupled to a second bone of the joint and contacting the firstimplant. The second implant may include at least one of a first sensorconfigured to measure a first type of data, and a processor operativelycoupled to the at least one of the first sensor, and a deviceoperatively coupled to the processor. The device may have a networkadapted to receive data from the processor and at least a second source,process the data from the processor and the second source, and output astate of the joint based on the data from the processor and the datafrom the second source.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the joint implant may be afirst joint implant. The second source may include a second jointimplant including at least one of a first sensor configured to measure afirst type of data.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the second source may includea determination of a state of a joint based on data provided by sensorsof a joint implant as determined by a user. The device may define apredetermined range of values and determines that the joint is in afirst state when the data is within the predetermined range. The devicemay initiate a warning when the first type of data is outside of thepredetermined range of values. The joint may be determined to be any oneof injured, infected, or inflamed when the data is outside of thepredetermined range of values. The predetermined range may be adapted tochange upon receipt of data from a joint implant or the determination ofthe state by the user.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the at least one of the firstsensor may include any one of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, apH sensor, an optical sensor, and a blood sensor. The blood sensor maymeasure data on pathogens present in the joint. The blood sensor maymeasure a glucose level in the joint.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, at least one of the firstsensor may measure the first type of data upon activation by a user.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a method formonitoring an implant performance is provided. A method according tothis aspect, may include the steps of providing a joint implant with afirst sensor configured to measure a first type of data, tracking andoutputting the first type of data over time to a network using aprocessor disposed within the implant, comparing the first type of datato a set of data received into the network from other implants,determining a state of the implant based on the comparison of the firsttype of data with the set of data received from other implants, andinitiating a warning from the implant when the implant is determined tobe in a first state.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the first state may be anyone of the joint being inflamed, infected, or injured.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the first type of data may becompared to a predetermined value designated according to the set ofdata received into the network from the other implants. Thepredetermined value may include a range of predetermined values. Theimplant may be determined to be in the first state when the first typeof data falls outside of the range of predetermined values. Thepredetermined value may be adapted to change when a new set of data froman implant is received in the network.

In accordance with an aspect of the present disclosure, a method formonitoring an implant performance is provided. A method according tothis aspect, may include the steps of coupling a first implant to afirst bone of a joint, coupling a second implant to a second bone of thejoint, tracking and outputting the first type of data to an externalsource using a processor disposed within the implant, comparing thefirst type of data to a predetermined value formed based on a set ofdata obtained from other joint implants, and determining a state of theimplant. The second implant may be configured to contact the firstimplant. The second implant may include a first sensor to measure afirst type of data such that the implant may be determined to be in afirst state when the first type of data is different than thepredetermined value. The range of predetermined values may be adapted tochange when new data is provided to the set of data.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the new data may include afirst type of data measured by a first sensor of an implant. The newdata may include a determination of a state of an implant as determinedby a user.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the method may furthercomprise initiating an alert to a user when the implant is determined tobe in the first state. The first state may be one of the joint beinginflamed, infected, or injured.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the predetermined value mayinclude a range of predetermined values. The implant may be determinedto be in the first state when the first type of data is outside of therange of predetermined values.

Continuing in accordance with this aspect, the first sensor may be anyone of a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, a pH sensor, an opticalsensor, and a blood sensor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of the subject matter of the presentdisclosure and the various advantages thereof can be realized byreference to the following detailed description, in which reference ismade to the following accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a knee joint implant according to anembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a femoral implant of the knee joint implant ofFIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3A is a bottom view of the femoral implant of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 3B is schematic view of encoder tracks of the femoral implant ofFIG. 2 ;

FIG. 4 is a partial view of an encoder read head and a load sensor of atibial implant of the knee joint implant of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 5A is a front view of an antenna of the knee joint implant of FIG.1 ;

FIG. 5B is a top view of the antenna of FIG. 5A;

FIG. 6 is a perspective side view of a knee joint implant according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 7 is a perspective front view of a tibial implant of the knee jointimplant of FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 8 is a partial perspective view of an insert of the tibial implantof FIG. 6

FIG. 9 is a partial top view of the insert of FIG. 8 showing details ofvarious insert components;

FIG. 10 is a perspective side view of the insert of the tibial implantof FIG. 7 ;

FIG. 11 is a perspective side view of a cover of the insert of FIG. 10 ;

FIG. 12 are graphs showing magnetic flux density measurements of theimplant sensors and knee flexion angles

FIG. 13 is a graph showing various implant sensor readings of the kneejoint implant of FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of implant sensors of the knee joint implantof FIG. 6 in communication with a processor;

FIG. 15 is a graph showing voltage measurements of the implant sensors;

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a charging circuit for the knee jointimplant of FIG. 6 ;

FIG. 17A is a graph showing measured voltage of the implant sensors;

FIG. 17B is a graph showing rectified voltage of the implant sensors;

FIG. 18 is a schematic view of a knee joint implant with a chargingsleeve according to an embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a front view of the charging sleeve of the knee joint implantof FIG. 17 ;

FIG. 20 is a side view of an insert of the knee joint implant of FIG. 17;

FIG. 21 shows top and front views of the insert of FIG. 19 ;

FIG. 22A is front view of a knee joint implant according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 22B is a side view of the knee joint implant of FIG. 22A;

FIG. 23A is a front view of a tibial implant according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 23B is a top view of an insert of the tibial implant of FIG. 22A;

FIG. 24A is a front view of a tibial implant according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 24B is a top view of an insert of the tibial implant of FIG. 24A;

FIG. 25A is a front view of a tibial implant according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 25B is a top view of an insert of the tibial implant of FIG. 25A;

FIG. 26 is a side view of a knee joint implant according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 27 is a front view of a tibial implant of the knee joint implant ofFIG. 26 ;

FIG. 28 is a schematic side view of a knee joint implant illustratingvarious measurements according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure;

FIG. 29 is a schematic side view of a spinal implant assembly accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 30 is side view of a hip implant according to another embodiment ofthe present disclosure;

FIG. 31A is a schematic view of a sensor assembly of the hip implant ofFIG. 30 ;

FIG. 31B is a side view of the sensor assembly and an insert of the hipimplant of FIG. 31A;

FIG. 31C is a top view of the sensor assembly and the insert of FIG.31B;

FIG. 32 is a side view of a hip implant according to another embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 33 is a partial top view of the hip implant of FIG. 32 ;

FIG. 34 is a side view of a hip implant according to another embodimentof the present disclosure;

FIG. 35 is a side view of an electronic assembly of the hip implant ofFIG. 34 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 36 is a side view of an electronic assembly of the hip implant ofFIG. 34 according to another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 37 is a side view of a shoulder implant according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 38 is top view of an insert of the shoulder implant of FIG. 37 ;

FIG. 39 is a top view of a cup of the shoulder implant of FIG. 37 ;

FIG. 40 is side view of a shoulder implant according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 41 is a side view of an insert of the shoulder implant of FIG. 40 ;

FIG. 42 is a flowchart showing steps to determine implant wear accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 43 is a first graph showing implant thickness over time;

FIG. 44 is a second graph showing implant thickness over time;

FIG. 45 is a flowchart showing steps to determine implant wear accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 46 is a flowchart showing for implant data collection according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIGS. 47A and 47B is a flowchart showing steps for patient monitoringaccording to another embodiment of the present disclosure, and

FIG. 48 is a diagram showing the communication between an implanted kneejoint implant and a cloud network.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to the various embodiments of thepresent disclosure illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whereverpossible, the same or like reference numbers will be used throughout thedrawings to refer to the same or like features within a different seriesof numbers (e.g., 100-series, 200-series, etc.). It should be noted thatthe drawings are in simplified form and are not drawn to precise scale.Additionally, the term “a,” as used in the specification, means “atleast one.” The terminology includes the words above specificallymentioned, derivatives thereof, and words of similar import. Although atleast two variations are described herein, other variations may includeaspects described herein combined in any suitable manner havingcombinations of all or some of the aspects described.

As used herein, the terms “load” and “force” will be usedinterchangeably and as such, unless otherwise stated, the explicit useof either term is inclusive of the other term. Similarly, the terms“magnetic markers” and “markers” will be used interchangeably and assuch, unless otherwise stated, the explicit use of either term isinclusive of the other term.

As used herein, the terms “power” and “energy” will be usedinterchangeably and as such, unless otherwise stated, the explicit useof either term is inclusive of the other term. Similarly, the terms“implant” and “prosthesis” will be used interchangeably and as such,unless otherwise stated, the explicit use of either term is inclusive ofthe other term. The term “joint implant” means a joint implant systemcomprising two or more implants. Similarly, the terms “energy generator”and “energy harvester” will be used interchangeably and as such, unlessotherwise stated, the explicit use of either term is inclusive of theother term.

In describing preferred embodiments of the disclosure, reference will bemade to directional nomenclature used in describing the human body. Itis noted that this nomenclature is used only for convenience and that itis not intended to be limiting with respect to the scope of the presentdisclosure. As used herein, when referring to bones or other parts ofthe body, the term “anterior” means toward the front part of the body orthe face, and the term “posterior” means toward the back of the body.The term “medial” means toward the midline of the body, and the term“lateral” means away from the midline of the body. The term “superior”means closer to the head, and the term “inferior” means more distantfrom the head.

FIG. 1 is a front view of a knee joint implant 100 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. Knee joint implant 100 includes afemoral implant 102 located on a femur 106 and a tibial implant 104located on a tibia 108. Tibial implant 104 has a tibial insert 110configured to contact femoral implant 102, and a tibial baseplate ortibial stem 112 extending distally into tibia 108. Femoral implant 102includes a medial encoder track 114 located on a medial side and alateral encoder track 116 on a lateral side of the femoral implant.While the encoder tracks are shown along a surface of femoral implant102 in FIG. 1 , these tracks can be located within or partially within afemoral implant on the medial and lateral sides thereof in otherembodiments. The encoder tracks can be made of various structures,including magnetic tape of varying lengths and magnetic markerspositioned at discrete locations. The resolution of the encoder trackcan be adjusted depending on the required precision of the measuredparameters such as joint displacement, joint rotation, joint slip, etc.Tibial insert 110 includes a medial read head 118 and lateral read head120 to read a magnetic flux density from medial encoder track 114 andlateral encoder track 116, respectively. Medial read head 118 andlateral read head 120 can be any suitable magnetometer configured todetect and measure magnetic flux density, such as a Hall effect sensor.As tibia 108 rotates with reference to femur 106 during knee flexion andextension, medial encoder track 114 and lateral encoder track 116 movealong medial read head 118 and lateral read head 120, respectively. Thismovement causes a change in magnetic flux density which is detected byread heads 118, 120, and can be utilized to measure knee joint implant100 movement, rotation, speed and range of articulation,motion/activity, joint slip, and other motion related information. Themagnetic-mechanic coupling of the read heads with the encoder tracksallows for direct, instantaneous, and continuous measurements of theseknee joint implant parameters. A data transmitter such as an antenna 122located on tibial insert 110 transmits the knee joint implant parametersmeasured by the read heads via Bluetooth or other similar wireless meansto an external source such as a smart phone, tablet, monitor, network,etc. to allow for real time review of the knee joint implantperformance.

FIG. 2-3B illustrate additional details of femoral implant 102, medialencoder track 114 and lateral encoder track 116. As shown in FIG. 2 ,medial encoder track 114 extends from an anterior portion 126 of femoralimplant 102 to a posterior portion 128 of the femoral implant along atrack axis 130. Medial encoder track 114 includes a central portion 124which is narrower than anterior and posterior portions 126, 128 as shownin FIG. 3A. As shown in FIG. 3B, medial encoder track 114 includesarched or curved magnetic lines to compensate for joint rotations inorder to maintain uniform readings during a full range of motion of theknee joint. Similarly, lateral encoder track 116 extends from ananterior portion to a posterior portion of the femoral implant andincludes a narrow central portion relative to the anterior and posteriorportions with arched or curved magnetic lines. The conical profile andcurved magnetic lines of the encoder tracks are configured to compensatefor joint rotational motion and maintain alignment and coupling betweenthe read heads and the tracks. This maximizes measurement collection andmeasurement accuracy during a full range of motion of the knee joint.The shape, size and location of the encoder tracks can vary depending onthe implant.

FIG. 4 shows details of a medial side of tibial insert 110. Tibialinsert 110 includes a medial load sensor 132 in connection with medialread head 118 via a medial connector 134. Medial load sensor 132 is aload measuring sensor such as a strain gauge or piezoelectric sensorconfigured to measure loads or forces transmitted from medial read head118 via medial connector 134. Medial connector 134 can be a rigid membersuch as a connecting rod to transmit loads from medial read head 118 tomedial load sensor 132. As shown in FIG. 4 , a portion of the medialside of femoral implant 102 directly contacts medial read head 118 totransmit loads (medial side loads), which is then measured by medialload sensor 132. Medial read head 118 is spring-loaded by a medial loadspring 136 located below medial load sensor 132 to ensure contactbetween medial read head 118 and femoral implant 102. Similarly, alateral side of tibial insert 110 includes a lateral load sensor, alateral connector, and a lateral load spring. The lateral load sensor isconfigured to measure lateral loads between femoral implant 102 andtibial implant 104. Measured medial and lateral loads are transmittedvia antenna 122 to an external source. Thus, knee joint implant 100 cansimultaneously provide knee motion information (rotation, speed, flexionangle, etc.) and knee load (medial load, medial load center, lateralload, lateral load center, etc.) in real time to an external source.

Details of antenna 122 are shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. Antenna 122includes screw threads configured to be attached to tibial insert 110.Antenna 122 can include a coax interface to shield knee joint andimprove transmission between knee joint implant 100 and the externalsource. A battery is located adjacent antenna 122 (not shown) to powerknee joint implant 100. Antenna 122 can serve as a charging port viaradio frequency (RF) or inductive coupling if a rechargeable battery isused. The location of battery and antenna 122 in tibial insert 110 allowfor convenient access to remove and replace these components ifnecessary. Various other sensors such as a temperature sensor, pressuresensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, pH sensor, etc., can beincluded in knee joint implant 100 as more fully described below.

FIG. 6 is a perspective side view of a knee joint implant 200 accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure. Knee joint implant 200is similar to knee joint implant 100, and therefore like elements arereferred to with similar numerals within the 200-series of numbers. Forexample, knee joint implant 200 includes a femoral implant 202, a tibialimplant 204 with a tibial insert 210 and a tibial stem 212. However,knee joint implant 200 includes magnetic medial markers 214 and magneticlateral markers 216 located at discrete locations along the medial andlateral sides of femoral implant 202, respectively.

Details of tibial insert 210 are shown in FIGS. 7-11 . Tibial insert 210includes batteries 242 on both medial and lateral sides. Batteries 242can be solid state batteries, lithium ion batteries, lithium carbonmonofluoride batteries, lithium thionyl chloride batteries, lithium ionpolymer batteries, etc. As best shown in FIG. 9 , Hall sensorassemblies, with each assembly including at least one Hall sensor, areused as a medial marker reader 252 and a lateral marker reader 248 toread medial markers 214 and lateral markers 216, respectively. Each Hallsensor assembly can include multiple Hall sensors arranged in variousconfigurations and orientations. For example, the Hall sensor assemblycan include Hall sensors oriented in Cartesian coordinates. As the tibiarotates with reference to the femur during knee flexion and extension,medial markers 214 and lateral markers 216 move along medial markerreader 252 and lateral marker reader 248, respectively. This movementcauses a change in magnetic flux density, which is detected by markerreaders 252, 248, to measure knee joint implant 200 movement, rotation,speed and range of articulation, motion/activity, joint slip, and othermotion related information. The magnetic-mechanic coupling of the markerreaders with the markers allows for direct, instantaneous, andcontinuous measurements of these knee joint implant parameters withoutthe need to process this information via an algorithm or other means.While eight Hall sensor assemblies (four on each side) are shown in thisembodiment, other embodiments can have more than eight or less thaneight Hall sensor assemblies positioned at various locations. Thearrangement of marker readers and markers provide absolute positions ofknee joint implant 200 supporting wake-up-and-read kernels. Thus, noinference of movement by data synchronization techniques is required toobtain absolute position data of knee joint implant 200. The number ofmedial markers 214 can be different from the number of lateral markers216 to account for variation in signal fidelity between these sides. Forexample, seven magnetic markers can be provided on the medial side andonly four magnet markers can be provided on the lateral side to improvesignal fidelity and motion detection precision on the medial side.

As best shown in FIG. 9 , three piezo stacks on the medial side serve asmedial load sensors 232, and three piezo stacks on the lateral sideserve as lateral load sensors 254. The staggered or non-lineararrangement of the three piezo stacks on the medial and lateral sidesallow for net load measurements and identification of resultant loadcenters at the medial and lateral sides. Thus, knee joint implant 200can simultaneously provide knee motion information (joint rotation,joint speed, joint flexion angle, joint slippage, etc.) and knee load(medial load, medial load center, lateral load, lateral load center,etc.) in real time to an external source. The piezo stacks areconfigured to generate power from the patient’s motion by convertingpressure on the piezo stacks to charge batteries 242 as more fullydescribed below. Thus, knee joint implant 200 does not require externalcharging devices or replacement batteries for the active life of theimplant.

Tibial insert 210 includes an infection or injury detection sensor 244.For example, the infection or injury detection can be a pH sensorconfigured to measured bacterial infection by measuring the alkalinityof synovial fluid to provide early detection of knee joint implant 200related infection. A temperature and pressure sensor 246 is provided intibial insert 210 to monitor knee joint implant 200 performance. Forexample, any increase in temperature and/or pressure may indicateimplant-associated infection. Pressure sensor 246 is used to measuresynovial fluid pressure in this embodiment. Temperature and/or pressuresensor 246 readings can provide early detection of knee joint implant200 related infection. Thus, injury detection sensors 244 and 236provide extended diagnostics with heuristics for first level assessmentof infections or injury related to knee joint implant 200. An onboardprocessor 250 such as a microcontroller unit (“MCU”) is used to readsensors 244 and 236 and process results for transmission to an externalsource. This data can be retrieved, processed, and transferred by theMCU via antenna 222 continuously, at predefined intervals, or whencertain alkalinity, pressure, and/or temperature thresholds, or anycombinations thereof, are detected.

The various sensors and electronic components of tibial insert 210 arecontained within an upper cover 256 and a lower cover 258 as shown inFIG. 10 . The upper and lower covers can be made from a polymer. Antenna222 is located on an anterior portion of knee joint implant 200 toprovide better line of site for transmitting data with lessinterference. The antenna is fixed inside the polymer covers to providepredictable inductance and capacitance. A cover 260 encloses the sensorsand electronic components of tibial insert 210 as shown in FIG. 11 .Cover 260 can be a hermetic cover to hermetically seal tibial insert210. Cover 260 is preferably made of metal and provides radio frequency(“RF”) shielding to the knee joint.

The modular design of knee joint implant 200 provides for convenientmaintenance of its components. For example, an in-office or outpatientprocedure will allow a surgeon to access the tibia below the patella (anarea of minimal tissue allowing for fast recovery) to access componentof knee joint implant 200. The electronic components and sensors of kneejoint are modular and connector-less allowing for convenient replacementof tibial insert 210 or upgrades to same without impacting the femoralimplant or the tibial stem.

Graphs plotting magnetic flux density measurements 310 and knee flexionangles 312 are shown in FIG. 12 . Magnetic flux density measurements 310are generated from the magnetic-mechanic coupling of marker readers 248,252 with the markers 214, 216 as more fully described above. Graphs 302and 304 show magnetic flux density (mT) measurements from two Hallsensor assemblies (medial marker reader 252 or lateral marker reader248) for a first range of motion of the knee joint. Similarly, graphs306 and 308 show magnetic flux density (mT) measurements from two Hallsensors (medial marker reader 252 or lateral marker reader 248) for asecond range of motion of the knee joint. The placement of magneticmarkers 214, 216 on the femoral component create a sinusoidal magneticflux density around femoral implant 202. As the femoral implant 202rotates around an axis of rotation 201 shown in FIG. 6 , the markerreaders read sine and cosine waveforms. The magnitude of the sine andcosine waves are interpolated to a near linear knee flexion angle.Placing the individual magnetic markers of medial markers 214 andlateral markers 216 at different separation angles on each condyle offemoral implant 202 creates a phase shift in the measurements from onecondyle to the next as the knee rotates. This phase shift can then beused to correct for any rollovers in the interpolated waveform. Thus,marker readers 248, 252 and markers 214, 216 serve as an absoluterotation sensor measuring knee flexion through a full range of motion ofknee joint implant 200. In addition to the two Hall sensor assemblies onthe lateral and medial side of tibial insert 210, the remaining Hallsensor assemblies of marker readers 248, 252 allow for 6-degrees offreedom movement measurements of knee joint implant 200 as more fullyexplained below. While an absolute magnetic encoder is disclosed in thisembodiment, other embodiments can include a knee joint implant with anincremental magnetic encoder.

FIG. 13 is a graph showing various implant injury detection sensorreadings 404 of knee joint implant 200 for early detection of knee jointimplant related infection and/or failure. Pressure 408 and temperature406 are measured using temperature and pressure sensor 246, andalkalinity 410 is measured using pH sensor 244 over time 402. As morefully explained above, alkalinity 410 measurements of joint synovialfluid can indicate bacterial infection to provide early detection ofknee joint implant 200 related infection. Increase in pressure 408 andtemperature 406 readings may indicate implant-associated infection.Variation or change in synovial fluid pressure 408 may indicate implantmalfunction. In addition to predetermined absolute thresholds of thetemperature, pressure and alkalinity readings indicating impendinginfection or implant failure, collective analysis of these readings canoffer early detection warning ahead of the failure/infection thresholds.As shown in FIG. 14 , a combination of temperature, pressure andalkalinity may indicate early detection of trauma 414 or infection 412.Thus, injury detection sensor readings provide extended diagnostics withheuristics for first level assessment of infections or injury related toknee joint implant 200.

In addition to the sensors described above, particularly with referenceto knee joint implants 100 or 200, it is contemplated that the implantmay include any type and any number of sensors useful for detectingsigns of infection, inflammation, injury, etc. within the knee joint.For example, knee joint implant 200 may include an optical sensorcapable of measuring the turbidity of the synovial fluid, and/or a bloodsensor or analyzer capable of capturing data on pathogens present in thejoint, which may allow for a more accurate treatment in the case ofinfection. Still further, the blood analyzer may include other functionssuch as glucose analysis, which may be useful for cases of diabetes injoint replacement.

As noted above, the data measured and gathered by the various sensorsare read by the processor 250, such as an MCU, to process and transferthe measurements to an external source 5845 via the antenna 222.Processor 250 can send data in packets arranged by data types. Forexample, data packets containing Hall sensor position, IMU gyro,accelerometer, pH, pressure, temperature, etc. can be each transmittedunder unique IDs. The type of data and frequency of measurement can bedefined by a physician via a platform such as OrthoLogIQ, and sent overthe air to the implant by a paired mobile device. During normaloperation, the processor can be configured to run a particular task(such as a list of measurements assigned by a physician) at a definedrate (the frequency). The data can then be stored in local FRAM. Theprocessor can then go to sleep until it is woken up by a timer interruptto read, make readings, store data in memory, and return to sleep statusas scheduled. Data upload can be during a defined period (primary) or onfirst chance (secondary). As shown in FIG. 48 , the external source 5845may be any device, such as one of the devices identified above, and isconnected to a network such as a cloud network 5850. That is, the streamof data relayed from the processor 250 to the external source 5845 isfed into storage 5852 of the cloud 5850 and incorporated into a singleor a plurality of neural network functions 5854, thus passing from auser 5840 to the cloud 5850 as shown in FIG. 48 . For ease ofdescription, all data obtained by a single implant in a respective user5840 or patient will be referred to as a single set of data. Thus, whena first type of data is measured by the sensors and transmitted from theprocessor 250 to the external source 5845, the external source 5845stores that data in the neural network 5854 of the cloud 5850. Thisprocess may then be repeated with a second user 5840 or patient, suchthat a second set of data is measured by the sensors of a knee jointimplant 200 implanted in the knee joint of second user 5840 or patient,processed by the processor 250, and transmitted to the same externalsource 5845 by the antenna 222 of the second knee joint implant 200 tothen be stored in the neural network 5854 of the cloud 5850. It is alsocontemplated that the second set of data may be conveyed to a secondexternal source different from the first external source to which thefirst set of data was conveyed, however, all external sources may beconnected to the same neural network 5854. This process may continue foradditional users 5840, thereby storing and accumulating a plurality ofdata sets in the neural network 5854.

Some of the content stored in the neural network 5854 of the cloud 5850includes, as described above, a set of data from each knee joint implant200. Each set of data may include several types of data. That is, afirst type of data may be obtained from a first type of sensor (e.g.,temperature readings may be obtained from a temperature sensor, or pHreadings may be obtained from a pH sensor). From such readings of eachtype and/or set of data, a clinician makes a diagnosis of the state ofthe knee joint or knee joint implant 200, either based on the set ofdata or on other factors (such as information provided by the patient),or a combination thereof. The clinician’s diagnosis includes thedetermination of the knee joint or knee joint implant 200 being in anyone of a variety of states, such as a healthy state, an infected state,an inflamed state, an injured state, or the like. The diagnosis may bemanually entered into the external source 5845 by the clinician andthereby associated with the corresponding set of data in the neuralnetwork 5854.

After a first set of data from a first knee joint implant 200 in a firstuser 5840 is provided in the neural network 5854 with an associateddiagnosis of the state of the knee joint implant 200 or knee joint, sucha process may be repeated for a second set of data from a second kneejoint implant 200 in a second user 5840, and may continue thereafter forany number of patients and sets of data which the cloud 5850 is capableof holding. As shown in FIG. 48 , the neural network 5854 is operativelycoupled to a software system 5860 which analyzes the various existingsets of data and associated diagnoses stored in the neural network 5854to make inferences and estimations on the state of the knee joint and/orthe knee joint implant 200. That is, the software system 5860 interpretseach type of data within each set of data in view of the correspondingdiagnoses of the respective implant which already exists within theneural network 5854 of the cloud 5850 to then comes to a conclusionabout the state of another patient’s knee joint implant 200. Forexample, based on existing sets of data stored in the neural network5854, the software 5860 may define certain predetermined values withwhich the software 5860 will determine that if any of the types of datawere to match such predetermined values, the software 5860 would deem anew patient’s knee joint implant 200 to be in a certain state. In otherexamples, the software 5860 may define a range of predetermined valueswith which the software 5860 will determine that if any of the types ofdata were to fall outside of the predetermined range, the software 5860would deem the new patient’s knee joint implant 200 to be in a certainstate, and alternatively may be deemed to be in a different state if thesensor measurements were to fall inside the predetermine range ofvalues. For instance, the software 5860 might conclude that when thetemperature of a knee joint implant 200 falls between X and Y, the kneejoint is in a healthy state. However, when the measured temperature of aknee joint implant 200 falls outside of (e.g., above) the range betweenX and Y or above a threshold temperature, the knee joint may bedetermined to be in an inflamed state. As described above, the software5860 takes into account a combination of the different types of data(e.g., temperature, pressure, pH, etc.) to conclude that a knee joint ora knee joint implant 200 is in a particular state. For instance, asshown by the graph in FIG. 13 , the software system 5860 takes multipletypes of data from multiple sensors and formulates a determination ofthe state of the joint or joint implant while factoring in each themeasurements from each sensor.

Upon determining the state of a knee joint or a knee joint implant 200,the software 5860 may then initiate an alert or a warning, depending onthe type of state it has determined the knee joint or implant 200 to bein. For example, if the knee joint or implant 200 is determined by thesoftware 5860 to be in an infected state, the software 5860 initiates awarning notifying the clinician of the patient state, or notifying theclient of the same through the client portal 5856. In some scenarios,such an alert is provided prior to the patient’s feeling of pain ordiscomfort and therefore prior to a clinician’s diagnosis would haveoccurred had the knee joint implant 200 not provided the alert. It iscontemplated that the processor 250 of the implant 200 may communicatewith the external source when prompted or activated by the patient(e.g., in the patient’s home) or by the clinician (e.g., in theclinician’s office). It is also contemplated that the processor 250 maycommunicate with the external source 5845 automatically when within acertain proximity of the external source 5845, allowing the software5860 to issue a warning to the client portal 5856 even when unsuspectedby the patient. In some examples, the client portal 5856 is accessiblethrough the external source 5845. In further examples, if the software5860 determines that the knee joint and the knee joint implant 200 arein a healthy state, the software 5860 may issue a notice to thepatient/clinician indicating such condition (e.g., when the patient orclinician activates communication between the implant 200 and theexternal 5845 source), or the implant 200 may issue nothing at all.

The set of data of each patient implant 200 stored in the neural network5854 of the cloud 5850 will remain in the neural network 5854 for aslong as permitted by the clinician. However, it is also contemplatedthat the software 5860 may be capable of detecting an outlier set ofdata based on an associated diagnosis or manual input from theclinician, and the software 5860 may be capable of disregarding suchoutliers from its interpretations or removing such data from the neuralnetwork 5854 altogether. Generally, with each additional set of datafrom each patient implant 200 that is added to the neural network 5854,the software 5860 uses artificial intelligence to update its referencepoints and further refine its ability to detect the state a joint orjoint implant 200. For example, with each addition of a new set of datafrom an implanted implant 200 determined to be in a healthy state, or anew set of data from an implanted implant 200 determined to be in aninfected state, etc., the software 5860 may modify its predeterminedvalues or the predetermined ranges of values which it uses to determinethe state of a knee joint or implant 200, thereby further enhancing itsaccuracy of detection with each addition of new data. Therefore, thesoftware 5860 is able to draw conclusions from an aggregate of datahistory stored within the neural network 5854, and the knowledge base ofthe neural network 5854 continuously improves over time.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of piezo stacks of medial load sensors 232and lateral load sensor 254 in communication with a processor 266.Analog impulses generated by the piezo stacks when subjected to loadingare converted to continuous digital signals via analog-to-digitalconverters 262 and 264 as shown in FIG. 14 . The continuous digitalsignals (voltage) 508 can be serially loaded into a shift register andmeasured as shown in a graph 500 of FIG. 15 . A sampling window 506 isselected to identify a peak reading 508 to detect knee joint motion. Forcontinuous loading case, such as when a patient is standing, additionalsensors such as an inertial measurement unit (“IMU”) located in thetibial insert or other locations on knee joint implant 200 can be usedto detect or confirm knee joint position. Load data from piezo stacksand IMU measurements can be used to create load and motion profiles forpatient-specific or patient-independent analyses.

FIG. 16 is a schematic view of a charging circuit 600 for chargingbattery 242 of knee joint implant 200. The charging circuit includes acharge circuit 602 connected to a charging coil 606 and piezo stacks ofmedial load sensors 232 and lateral load sensors 254 via bridgerectifier 604. Charging circuit is configured to direct charge tobattery 242 utilizing inputs from one or more piezo stacks from themedial or lateral load sensors. This allows for singular or combinedcharging using individual or multiple piezo stacks. A minimum voltageoutput threshold of the piezo stacks can be predetermined to initiatebattery charging. For example, when a patient is asleep, low piezo stackpulses will not be used to charge battery 242. Raw piezo stack pulses(voltage 704) as shown in a graph 700 of FIG. 17 over time 706 arerectified by a voltage rectifier 708 to produce a rectified and smoothedvoltage output (voltage 704) shown in a graph 702 of FIG. 17B. Therectified and smoothed voltage output from the piezo stacks is used tocharge battery 242. Thus, power harvesting from motion of knee jointimplant 200 is achieved by using the pulses generated by the piezostacks.

FIG. 18 is a schematic view of a knee joint implant 800 according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure. Knee joint implant 800 issimilar to knee joint implant 200, and therefore like elements arereferred to with similar numerals within the 800-series of numbers. Forexample, knee joint implant 800 includes a femoral implant 802, a tibialimplant 804 with a tibial stem 812 and a tibial insert 810. However,knee joint implant 800 includes a chargeable implant coil 872 located intibial insert 810 which can be charged by an external coil 870 containedin an external sleeve 868 as shown in FIG. 18 .

External sleeve 868 shown in FIG. 19 includes an outer body 873 made ofstretchable fabric or other material. Outer body 873 is configured to bea ready-to-wear pull-on knee sleeve which a patiently can convenientlyput on and remove. A kneecap indicator 875 allows the patient toconveniently align sleeve 868 with knee joint implant 800 for properplacement of external coil 870 with reference to implant coil 872 forcharging. As shown in FIG. 18 , when a patient aligns external sleeve868 using kneecap indicator 875 and assumes a flexion position, externalcoil 870 is adjacent to implant coil 872 for proper charging. Externalsleeve 868 includes a battery 876 and a microcontroller 874 as shown inFIG. 19 . Battery 876, which can be conveniently replaced, providespower to external coil 870. In another embodiment, external coil 870 maybe charged by an external source not located on sleeve 868.

FIG. 20 shows a side view of tibial insert 810 of knee joint implant800. Tibial insert 810 is made of a polymer or other suitable tofacilitate charging of implant coil 872. Implant coil 872 is locatedwithin tibial insert 810 at an indent or depression at aproximal-anterior corner of the tibial insert as show in FIG. 20 andFIG. 21 (top and front views of tibial implant 810). Theproximal-anterior location of implant coil 872 maximizes access toexternal coil 870 for efficient and convenient charging.

FIGS. 22A and 22B show a knee joint implant 900 according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. Knee joint implant 900 is similarto knee joint implant 800, and therefore like elements are referred towith similar numerals within the 900-series of numbers. For example,knee joint implant 900 includes a femoral implant 902, a tibial implant904 with a tibial stem 912 and a tibial insert 910. However, knee jointimplant 900 includes a chargeable implant coil 972 located at anteriorend of tibial insert 910 which can be charged by an external coil 970(not shown). An external sleeve as described with reference knee jointimplant 900, or another charging mechanism can be used to convenientlycharge implant coil 972.

FIG. 23A is a front view of a tibial implant 1004 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. Tibial implant 1004 is similar totibial implant 204, and therefore like elements are referred to withsimilar numerals within the 1000-series of numbers. For example, tibialimplant 1004 includes a tibial stem 1012 and a tibial insert 1010.However, tibial insert 1010 includes a charging coil 1072 located arounda periphery of the tibial insert 1010 as shown in FIG. 23B. Aspectroscopy sensor 1074 in tibial insert 1010 serves as an infectiondetection sensor for tibial implant 1004. Spectroscopy sensor 1074 isconfigured to identify the onset of biofilm on tibial implant (or acorresponding femoral implant) to provide early detection of implantrelated infection.

FIG. 24A is a front view of a tibial implant 1104 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure. Tibial implant 1104 is similar totibial implant 204, and therefore like elements are referred to withsimilar numerals within the 1100-series of numbers. For example, tibialimplant 1104 includes a tibial stem 1112 and a tibial insert 1110.However, tibial insert 1110 includes an IMU 1176 and five Hall sensorassemblies for each of the medial and lateral marker readers. Thearrangement of the Hall sensor assemblies differ from tibial insert 210.Sensor data from IMU 1176 provides additional knee implant jointmovement data as more fully explained above. For example, IMU 1176 candetect or confirm knee joint position during continuous loadingpositions of a patient such as standing. IMU data can reveal, or supportmeasurements related to gait characteristics, stride, speed, etc., of apatient. pH sensor 1144 of tibial insert 1110 is located adjacent to aproximal face of the tibial insert at a central location as shown inFIG. 24B. All sensors of tibial implant 1104 are powered by batterieslocated in tibial insert 1110.

A tibial implant 1204 according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure is shown in FIGS. 25A and 25B. Tibial implant 1204 is similarto tibial implant 204, and therefore like elements are referred to withsimilar numerals within the 1200-series of numbers. For example, tibialimplant 1204 includes a tibial stem 1212 and a tibial insert 1210.However, tibial insert 1210 includes an IMU 1276 and a pressure sensor.Tibial insert 1210 is made of polyethylene and tibial stem 1212 is madeof titanium in this embodiment.

FIG. 26 is a side view of a knee joint implant 1300 according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. Knee joint implant 1300 is similarto knee joint implant 200, and therefore like elements are referred towith similar numerals within the 1300-series of numbers. For example,knee joint implant 1300 includes a femoral implant 1302, a tibialimplant 1304 with a tibial stem 1312 and a tibial insert 1310. However,battery 1342 of knee joint implant 1300 are located in tibial stem 1312as best shown in FIG. 27 . Locating batteries 1342 in tibial stemprovides room for additional sensors in tibial insert 1310. The tibialstem and tibial insert 1310 can be made of polyethylene in thisembodiment. Various knee joint implant motion data 1301 collected bymagnetic markers and marker readers is shown in FIG. 26 . Motion data1301 can include internal-external rotation, medial-lateral rotation,varus-valgus rotation, etc.

A knee joint implant 1400 according to another embodiment of the presentdisclosure is shown in FIG. 28 . Knee joint implant 1400 is similar toknee joint implant 200, and therefore like elements are referred to withsimilar numerals within the 1400-series of numbers. For example, kneejoint implant 1400 includes a femoral implant 1402, a tibial implant1404 with a tibial stem 1412 and a tibial insert 1410. However, tibialinsert 1410 includes an IMU 1476. Sensor data from IMU 1476 providesadditional knee implant joint motion data 1401. Motion data 1401 caninclude internal-external rotation, medial-lateral rotation,varus-valgus rotation, etc. for reviewing knee joint implant 1400performance. For example, internal-external rotation measurementsexceeding a predetermined threshold can indicate knee joint implantlift-off (instability), medial-lateral rotation measurements exceedingpredetermined thresholds can indicate knee joint implant stiffness.Combining these measurements with inputs from the various other sensorsof tibial insert 1410 will provide a detailed assessment of knee jointimplant 400 performance.

Referring now to FIG. 29 , a spinal implant assembly 1500 is shownaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Spinal implantassembly 1500 includes a spinal implant 1510 such as a plate, rod, etc.,secured to first and second vertebrae by a first fastener 1502 and asecond fastener 1504, respectively. The first and second fasteners canbe screws as shown in FIG. 29 . First fastener 1502 includes magneticflux density detectors such as Hall sensor assemblies 1506 located alonga body of the fastener 1502. Second fastener 1504 includes magneticmarkers 1508 located along a body of the fastener. Any movement ofsecond fastener 1504 with respect to the first fastener is detected andmeasured by Hall sensor assemblies 1506. Thus, the first and secondfasteners function as an absolute or incremental encoder to detectspinal mobility of a patient during daily activity. As described withreference to the knee joint implants disclosed above, various othersensors such as temperature, pressure, pH, load, etc., can be includedin fast fastener 1502 to provide additional measurements related tospinal implant assembly 1500 performance during a patient’s recovery andrehabilitation. Ideally, there should be little to no movement betweenthe first and second vertebrae for successful for spinal fusion.Therefore, any movement detected between the first and second fastenermay indicate a compromised spinal implant assembly.

FIG. 30 is side view of a hip implant 1600 according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure. Hip implant 1600 includes a stem 1602, a femoralhead 1604, an insert 1606 and an acetabular component 1608. Magneticflux density sensors such as Hall sensor assemblies 1626 are located ona flex connect 1628 and placed around femoral head 1604 as shown inFIGS. 31A and 31B. A connector 1622 on flex connect 1628 allows forconvenient connection of femoral head 1604 with stem 1602. Magneticmarkers 1630 are located on insert 1606 as best shown in FIG. 31C. Anymotion of insert 1606 is detected by Hall sensor assemblies 1626 bymeasuring the change in magnetic flux density. Thus, Hall sensorassemblies 1626 and markers 1630 function as an absolute or incrementalencoder to detect hip movement of a patient during daily activity.

Hip implant 1600 includes a charging coil 1610 located on stem 1602 asshown in FIG. 30 . Charging coil 1610 charges a battery 1612 via aconnector 1624 to power the various sensors located in hip implant 1600.A load sensor 1614 such a strain gauge detects forces between stem 1602and acetabular component 1608 to monitor and transmit hip loads duringpatient rehabilitation and recovery. Various electronic components 1616,including sensors described with reference to knee joint implants, arelocated in stem 1602. A pH sensor 1618 located on stem can measurealkalinity and provide early detection notice of implant relatedinfection. Data from these sensors is transmitted to an external sourcevia an antenna 1620 as described with reference to the knee jointimplants disclosed above.

FIG. 32 is a side view of a hip implant 1700 according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. Hip implant 1700 is similar to hipimplant 1600, and therefore like elements are referred to with similarnumerals within the 1700-series of numbers. For example, hip implant1700 includes a stem 1702, a femoral head 1704 and an acetabularcomponent (not shown). However, battery 1712 of hip implant 1700 islocated away from electric components 1716 as best shown in FIG. 32 .Battery 1712 can be conveniently inserted into hip implant 1700 via aslot 1734 as shown in FIG. 33 . Similarly, electric components 1716 canbe inserted into hip implant 1700 via a slot 1732. This allows forconvenient replacements and upgrades to the battery and electriccomponents without disturbing hip implant 1700.

FIG. 34 is a side view of a hip implant 1800 according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure. Hip implant 1800 is similar to hipimplant 1600, and therefore like elements are referred to with similarnumerals within the 1800-series of numbers. For example, hip implant1800 includes a stem 1802, a femoral head 1804 and an acetabularcomponent (not shown). However, slot 1832 of hip implant 1800 isconfigured to receive all electronic components structured as a modularelectronic assembly 1801 or a sensor assembly. A slot cover 1834 ensuresthat electronic assembly 1801 is secured and sealed in slot 1832. Thus,hip implant 1800 can be easily provided with replacement or upgrades tothe electric components without disturbing hip implant 1800.

A first embodiment of a modular electronic assembly 1801 is shown inFIG. 35 . Electronic assembly includes a connector 1822 to connect tofemoral head 1804, various electronic components 1816, a battery 1812and an antenna 1820. Another embodiment of a modular electronic assembly1801′ is shown in FIG. 36 . Electronic assembly 1801′ includes variouselectronic components 1816′, a battery 1812′, a load sensor such as astrain gauge 1814′ and an antenna 1820′. Electronic assembly 1801′includes a pH sensor 1818′ to provide early detection of implant relatedinfection.

FIG. 37 is a side view of a reverse shoulder implant 1900 according toan embodiment of the present disclosure. Shoulder implant 1900 includesa stem 1902, a cup 1904, an insert 1906 and a glenoid sphere 1908.Magnetic flux density sensors such as Hall sensor assemblies 1922 arelocated on insert 1906 as shown in FIG. 38 . A connector 1920 on cup1904 as shown in FIG. 39 allows for attachment of the cup to insert1906. Magnetic markers 1910 are located on glenoid sphere 1908 as bestshown in FIG. 37 . Any motion of glenoid sphere 1908 is detected by Hallsensor assemblies 1922 by measuring the change in magnetic flux density.Thus, Hall sensor assemblies 1922 and markers 1910 function as anabsolute or incremental encoder to detect shoulder movement of a patientduring daily activity.

Shoulder implant 1900 includes a battery 1914 and an electronic assembly1912 located within cup 1904. A pH sensor 1916 is located on cup 1904 tomeasure alkalinity and provide early detection notice of implant relatedinfection. An antenna 1918 located on insert 1906 is provided totransmit sensor data to an external source to monitor and transmitshoulder implant 1900 performance during patient rehabilitation andrecovery. Various electronic components of electronic assembly 1912,including sensors described with reference to knee joint implants, arelocated in cup 1904.

FIG. 40 is a side view of a reverse shoulder implant 2000 according toanother embodiment of the present disclosure. Shoulder implant 2000 issimilar to shoulder implant 1900, and therefore like elements arereferred to with similar numerals within the 2000-series of numbers. Forexample, shoulder implant 2000 includes a stem 2002, a cup 2004 and aninsert 2006. However, electronic assembly 2012, battery 2014 and pHsensor 2018 are located in insert 2006 as shown in FIG. 41 . Thus, onlya single component - i.e., the cup, of shoulder implant 2000 can bereplaced or upgraded to make changes to sensor collection andtransmission of the shoulder implant performance data.

FIG. 42 is a flowchart showing steps of a method 2100 to determineimplant wear according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Whilemethod 2100 is described with reference to a knee joint implant below,method 2100 can be applied to any implant with sensors described in thepresent disclosure, including all of the implants disclosed above. In afirst step 2102, the initial thickness of the knee joint implant (suchas thickness of the tibial insert) is recorded. This can be obtained bymeasuring the tibial insert prior to implantation, or measured based onthe magnetic flux density generated by the magnetic markers as measuredby the Hall sensor assemblies. Once the knee joint implant is implanted,periodic measurements of tibial insert thickness are determined in astep 2104 by evaluating the magnetic flux density. As the polyethylenehousing of tibial insert degrades over time, the distance between themarkers and Hall sensor assemblies are reduced as measured in a step2106. This results in increased magnetic flux density values, which areused to estimate tibial insert wear in a step 2108.

The decision to replace the tibial insert can be based on a rate of wearthreshold 2206 as shown in graph 2200 of FIG. 43 in a step 2110, or acritical thickness value 2308 as shown in graph 2300 of FIG. 44 in astep 2112. Graph 2200 plots tibial insert thickness 2202 over time 2204.A change in slope 2206 denotes the rate of wear of tibial insert. Whenslope 2206 exceeds the predetermined rate of wear threshold,notification to replace the tibial insert is triggered in a step 2114.Graph 2300 plots tibial insert thickness 2302 over time 2304. When thetibial insert thickness is less than a predetermined critical thicknessvalue 2308, a notification 2310 is triggered to replace the tibialinsert in step 2114.

FIG. 45 is a flowchart showing steps of a method 2400 to determineimplant wear according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.While method 2400 is described with reference to a knee joint implantbelow, method 2400 can be applied to any implant with sensors describedin the present disclosure, including all of the implants disclosedabove. In a first step 2402, a knee angle of a patient with the kneejoint implant is measured. The knee is then placed in full extension ina step 2404. Hall sensor amplitudes are measured in a step 2408. Thisprocess is repeated over time to track the Hall sensor amplitude. Thesevalues are then compared with initial Hall sensor amplitude valuesobtained when the knee implant joint template was implanted (obtained byperforming steps 2412 to 2418). As the Hall sensor amplitudes aredirectly related to a distance between the markers and the markerreaders - i.e., a tibial insert thickness, a difference between theinitial Hall sensor amplitudes and current Hall sensor amplitudes fromstep 2408 represent wear of the tibial insert in a step 2420. When apredetermined minimum implant thickness is reached in a step 2420, anotification to replace the tibial insert is triggered in a step 2422.

FIG. 46 is a flowchart showing steps of a method 2500 for implant datacollection according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Whilemethod 2500 is described with reference to a knee joint implant below,method 2500 can be applied to any implant with sensors described in thepresent disclosure, including all of the implants disclosed above. In afirst step 2502, a patient is implanted with a knee joint implant. Theknee joint implant is in a low-power mode (to conserve battery power)until relevant activity is detected (steps 2504 and 2506). Once therelevant activity is identified by the sensor(s) of the knee jointimplant (step 2508), the implant shifts to a high-power mode. Relevantactivity to trigger the high-power mode can be patient-specific, and mayinclude knee flexion speed, gait, exposure to sudden impact loads,temperature thresholds, alkalinity levels, etc. Upon identifying therelevant activity and switching over to the high-power mode, varioussensors in the knee joint implant record and store sensor measurementson the device (step 2512). This data can be transferred from the patientto a home station when the patient is in the vicinity of the homestation or a smart device (step 2514). The data is then transferred fromthe home station or the smart device to the cloud 5850 to be reviewedand analyzed by the software 5860 or virtual machines and/or by experts(steps 2518, 2520). Relevant information for patient rehabilitation andrecovery uncovered from the sensor data is sent back to the patient(steps 2523, 2522) via the client portal 5856. Thus, method 2500preserves and extends battery life of the knee joint implant by shiftingthe implant from low-power to high-power mode when required, andshifting the implant back to the low-power mode to conserve energyduring other periods.

In some examples, the relevant patient information may be that the kneejoint and knee joint implant are in a healthy state, or alternativelythat the knee joint is in an infected state. If the knee joint isdetermined to not be in a healthy state, the clinician can then takesteps to review the condition more closely and prepare a plan fortreatment if necessary. After review, the clinician can input the stateof the joint as determined by the clinician so that the confirmeddiagnosis is then associated with the data provided by the jointimplant. The diagnosis data combined with corresponding sensor data isthen stored in the cloud 5850 and henceforth considered in thesoftware’s future determinations of the state of a joint and jointimplant. In some examples, the software is adapted to adjust and furtherrefine its parameters and/or thresholds used in determining the state ofan implant upon receipt of the diagnosis data.

FIGS. 47A and 47B shows steps of a method 2600 for patient monitoringaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. While method 2600is described with reference to a knee joint implant below, method 2600can be applied to any implant with sensors described in the presentdisclosure, including all of the implants disclosed above. Afterinstalling the knee joint implant, various sensors within the sensor areactivated (steps 2624, 2626) to track and monitor patient rehabilitationand recovery (step 2628). When the tracked data indicates that thedesired recovery parameters are achieved, some of the sensors in theknee joint implant are deactivated or turned to a “sleep mode” (step2616). For example, the recovery target can be a desired range of motionof the knee joint. Once a patient exhibits the desired kneeflexion-extension range, some of the sensors on the knee joint implantcan be turned off. Alternatively, peer data can be used to identifyrecovery thresholds (step 2612). If the recovery threshold or milestonesare not achieved, the knee joint implant continues to charge and use allsensors (step 2608). Some sensors in the knee joint implant will beperiodically used even after achieving the recovery milestones tomonitor for early identification of improper implant performance (step2610, 2618, 2620). For example, after turning off the magnetic readersupon achieving the desired flexion-extension range of motion, the pH ortemperature sensors can be used to periodically measure alkalinity andtemperature to identify infection or implant failure. Uponidentification of an anomalous condition, the knee joint implant can beconfigured to fully recharge and turn on the previously turned offsensors to provide additional implant performance measurements (step2624). A surgeon can customize the sensor readings and frequency basedon the observed condition (steps 2626 and 2628). Additionalrehabilitation steps for patient recovery can be provided to the patientat this point. The impact of the new rehabilitation steps can bemonitored and compared with peers to observe patient recovery (steps2636-2642).

While a knee joint implant, hip implant, shoulder implant and a spinalimplant are disclosed above, all or any of the aspects of the presentdisclosure can be used with any other implant such as an intramedullarynail, a bone plate, a bone screw, an external fixation device, aninterference screw, etc. Although, the present disclosure generallyrefers to implants, the systems and method disclosed above can be usedwith trials to provide real time information related to trialperformance. While sensors disclosed above are generally located in thetibial implant (tibial insert) of the knee joint implant, the sensorscan be located within the femoral implant in other embodiments. Sensorshape, size and configuration can be customized based on the type ofimplant and patient-specific needs.

Furthermore, although the invention disclosed herein has been describedwith reference to particular features, it is to be understood that thesefeatures are merely illustrative of the principles and applications ofthe present invention. It is therefore to be understood that numerousmodifications, including changes in the sizes of the various featuresdescribed herein, may be made to the illustrative embodiments and thatother arrangements may be devised without departing from the spirit andscope of the present invention. In this regard, the present inventionencompasses numerous additional features in addition to those specificfeatures set forth in the paragraphs below. Moreover, the foregoingdisclosure should be taken by way of illustration rather than by way oflimitation as the present invention is defined in the examples of thenumbered paragraphs, which describe features in accordance with variousembodiments of the invention, set forth in the paragraphs below.

1. A joint implant comprising: a first implant coupled to a first boneof a joint; and a second implant coupled to a second bone of the joint,the second implant including: a first sensor configured to measure afirst type of data; and a processor operatively coupled to the firstsensor; wherein the processor outputs the first type of data to anetwork, and wherein one of the joint, the first implant or the secondimplant is determined to be in a first state based on a comparison ofthe first type of data to a set of predetermined values, and wherein thepredetermined values are adapted to change with the addition of newdata.
 2. The joint implant of claim 1, wherein the joint is a kneejoint, the first implant is a femoral implant and the second implant isa tibial implant.
 3. The joint implant of claim 2, wherein the tibialimplant includes any of a pH sensor, a temperature sensor, a Hallsensor, a pressure sensor, an optical sensor, and a blood sensoroperatively coupled to the processor.
 4. The joint implant of claim 3,wherein the tibial implant includes a tibial insert and a tibial stem,and wherein the tibial insert is made of polyethylene.
 5. The jointimplant of claim 1, wherein the processor outputs the data to anexternal source connected to the network, and the joint implant furthercomprises a transmitter to transmit the first type of data to theexternal source.
 6. The joint implant of claim 1, further comprising abattery disposed within the second implant.
 7. The joint implant ofclaim 1, wherein the joint is a shoulder joint, the first implant is aglenoid sphere and the second implant is a shoulder insert.
 8. The jointimplant of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a second sensorconfigured to measure a second type of data.
 9. The joint implant ofclaim 8, wherein the joint implant includes a plurality of the firstsensor and a plurality of the second sensor.
 10. The joint implant ofclaim 9, wherein the processor outputs the first and second types ofdata to the network.
 11. The joint implant of claim 1, wherein theaddition of new data includes the first type of data output by theprocessor of the joint implant.
 12. The joint implant of claim 11,wherein the addition of new data includes the data received from otherjoint implants.
 13. The joint implant of claim 1, wherein the jointimplant is configured to initiate a warning when the joint implant isdetermined to be in the first state.
 14. The joint implant of claim 11,wherein the first state is any one of inflamed, infected, or injured.15. A joint implant comprising: a first implant coupled to a first boneof a joint; and a second implant coupled to a second bone of the jointand contacting the first implant, the second implant including: a firstsensor configured to measure a first type of data; a second sensorconfigured to measure a second type of data; and a processor operativelycoupled to the at least one of the first and second sensors; wherein thejoint implant is operatively coupled to a network of joint implants; andwherein the processor outputs the first and second types of data to thenetwork to determine a state of the joint implant based on data receivedin the network from other joint implants, and wherein the joint implantis configured to initiate an alert when the joint implant is determinedto be in a first state.
 16. The joint implant of claim 15, wherein thedata received from other joint implants includes data measured by asensor.
 17. The joint implant of claim 15, wherein the data receivedfrom the other joint implants includes determinations of a state of therespective joint or a state of the respective implant as determined by auser.
 18. A system for detecting a state of a joint implant comprising:a joint implant including: a first implant coupled to a first bone of ajoint; a second implant coupled to a second bone of the joint andcontacting the first implant, the second implant including: at least oneof a first sensor configured to measure a first type of data; and aprocessor operatively coupled to the at least one of the first sensor;and a device operatively coupled to the processor, the device having anetwork adapted to receive data from the processor and at least a secondsource, process the data from the processor and the second source, andoutput a state of the joint based on the data from the processor and thedata from the second source.
 19. The system of claim 18, wherein thejoint implant is a first joint implant, and wherein the second sourceincludes a second joint implant including at least one of a first sensorconfigured to measure a first type of data.
 20. The system of claim 18,wherein the second source includes a determination of a state of a jointbased on data provided by sensors of a joint implant as determined by auser.